Key takeaway: Hilo is one of the least expensive places to live in Hawaiʻi: HUD’s 2026–27 one-bedroom benchmark for ZIP 96720 is $1,500 a month, and the South Hilo median single-family sale was $502,000 in September 2026. The free Hele-On bus and short commutes help, but many older homes sit on cesspools that must be replaced by 2050. Numbers checked October 31, 2026.
A one-bedroom in Hilo rents for about $1,500 to $1,650 a month, and houses sell for about half of what they cost in Kailua-Kona. Hilo is the county seat and the largest town on Hawaiʻi Island’s wet east side, with the island’s main hospital, the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and a working harbor.
How much is rent in Hilo?
| Measure | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HUD Small Area FMR, ZIP 96720 | $1,500 | $1,930 | $2,430 | FY2027 (from Oct 1, 2026) |
| Zillow average asking rent | $1,650 | $1,750 | $2,300 | Oct 8, 2026 |
| Zumper average asking rent | $1,550 | $2,200 | $2,500 | Oct 30, 2026 |
HUD figures: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026), as republished by FairMarketRentMap; HUD’s summary pages show only county figures for the neighbor islands. These are 40th-percentile rents including utilities, a voucher benchmark rather than an asking price. Zillow and Zumper figures are averages of current listings in Hilo, all property types.
For comparison, HUD’s county-wide one-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Hawaiʻi County is $1,615. See rent by island for how the islands compare.
What do homes cost in Hilo?
The median single-family sale price in the South Hilo district was $502,000 in September 2026, on only 8 sales; in July 2026 it was $608,000 (Title Guaranty Hawaiʻi). The median condo sold for $247,500 on 4 sales. With so few sales, expect the monthly median to swing by $100,000 or more. Homeowners estimate their homes are worth a median of $483,000 (Hilo census-designated place, ACS 2020–2024).
Hawaiʻi County’s homeowner property tax rate is $5.75 per $1,000 of taxable value for FY2027, the highest in the state, after a home exemption of $50,000 for owners under 60. On a $502,000 house that is about $2,600 a year. See property tax by county.
What do Hilo households earn?
The median household income in the Hilo census-designated place is $81,779 (margin of error ±$7,098), against $78,639 for Hawaiʻi County as a whole (ACS 2020–2024). At HUD’s $1,500 one-bedroom benchmark, rent alone takes 22% of that median income.
How do people get around Hilo?
The average one-way commute for Hilo workers is 20 minutes (ACS 2020–2024). The county’s Hele-On bus is free for everyone through December 31, 2028 (Hele-On), and several routes, including 1, 2, 10, 11, 40, 60 and 80, serve Hilo (Hawaiʻi DOE route list, July 2026). Free fares pushed yearly ridership from about 325,000 in 2021 to about 1 million (Hawaiʻi Public Radio, Dec 2025), but service is infrequent, so most households still keep a car.
What costs are specific to Hilo?
- Cesspools. Up to 70% of houses in Hilo are on cesspools. State law (Act 125 of 2017) requires every cesspool to be converted by 2050, and a septic conversion usually costs $25,000 to $45,000; the island has no dedicated fund to help (Civil Beat, Aug 2025). Ask about the wastewater system before you buy.
- Rain and humidity. Hilo is one of the wettest towns in the U.S., so budget for mold prevention, dehumidifiers and roof and gutter upkeep. Most homes have no air conditioning, which keeps power bills lower than on the dry Kona side.
- Slow growth, older housing. Hilo added barely 900 residents between 2010 and 2020 while Puna boomed (Civil Beat, May 2023), so much of the housing stock is older plantation-era homes.
How does Hilo compare with other towns on Hawaiʻi Island?
| Town | 1BR rent, HUD benchmark | Median single-family sale | Mean commute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hilo (96720) | $1,500 | $502,000 (South Hilo, 8 sales) | 20 min |
| Kailua-Kona (96740) | $1,890 | $1.4 million (North Kona, 20 sales) | 20 min |
| Puna (Pāhoa 96778 / Keaʻau 96749) | $1,480 / $1,450 | $392,000 (Puna, 66 sales) | 33–35 min |
Rent: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026), as republished by FairMarketRentMap; HUD’s summary pages show only county figures for the neighbor islands. These are 40th-percentile rents including utilities, a voucher benchmark rather than an asking price. Sales: Title Guaranty Hawaiʻi Residential Sales Report, September 2026, by tax district. Commute: American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, via Census Reporter.
More: Hawaiʻi Island cost of living · compare the islands · salary calculator.
Sources
- FairMarketRentMap: HUD FY2027 SAFMR, ZIP 96720
- Zillow Rental Manager: Hilo rent trends
- Zumper: Hilo rent research
- Title Guaranty Hawaiʻi: Residential Sales Report, Hawaiʻi Island, September 2026
- Census Reporter: Hilo CDP (ACS 2020–2024)
- Hele-On: fares
- Hawaiʻi DOE: Hele-On to Schools (July 2026)
- Hawaiʻi Public Radio: Hele-On stays free (Dec 2025)
- Civil Beat: Big Island cesspools (Aug 2025)
- Civil Beat: Puna is the fastest-growing place in Hawaiʻi (May 2023)